Revolving book-case



(No Model.)

J. B. Z ETTLER. REVOLVING BOOK CASE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JOHN B. ZETTLER, OF CANTON, OHIO.

REVOLVING BOO K-CAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,555, dated July 9, 1889. Application filed January 10, 1888. Serial No. 260,286. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. ZETTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Revolving Book Cases, of. which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to revolving book-cases; and among the objects in view are to provide a book-case of the class described that will thoroughly protect from dust and vermin all books placed therein, and that can be revolved without disturbing articles resting on the top of the case, and to provide mechanism within convenient reach of the hand whereby said case may be revolved to bring any of the shelves opposite the opening or door, so that access can be had to any particular book contained in the case.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a revolving bookcase constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified construction. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. 4 is a further modification, and Fig. 5 is a plan showing manner of securing shelves.

Like letters of reference indicate likeparts in all the figures of the drawings.

A represents asuitable outer casing,which may be either polygonal, cylindrical, or rectangular, as desired, which casing is mounted upon suitable supports-in this instance casters A.

B represents the book-rack, which, by the usual vertical partitions B, is divided into compartments having shelves B These shelves are preferably removable, as hereinafter described, so that the case.may be used as a wardrobe or show-case for clothing and other articles desired to be protected or displayed.

The rack B is provided with a central vertical rod E the terminals of which are seated and adapted to revolve in bearing-plates A secured to the top and bottom of the outer case A. The case A may consist of four or more vertical corner pieces or posts, a wirenetting surrounding the casewith the exception of an opening or door; or, as shown in Fig. 1, the walls of the casing may be provided with a door A adapted to be closed and locked, so that the books or other articles contained in the rack maybe preserved against vermin, thieves, &c. The door A may be omitted and a suitable curtain substituted therefor, if desired.

Secured to the central rod B is a beveled gear B and meshing therewith is a gear 13 mounted upon a shaft B, supported in bearings B The shaft B is provided with a similar gear B at its opposite end, with which meshes a beveled gear B", mounted upon a vertical rod or shaft B supported in suitable bearings 13, extending from the outer casing A, which shaft carries a second gear B A shaft 13, journaled in the wall of the outer casing, is provided with a gear B at its inner end, which meshes with the gear 13, and is provided with a suitable operating-crank B at its opposite end, which crank is upon the outside of the outer casing and within easy grasp of the hand.

By the construction and arrangement of the gearing described it is apparent that by revolving the crank 13 motion will be imparted to the shafts and gears and from them tothe gear B and the central vertical shaft B thus revolving the book-rack so as to bring any book, shelf, or volume of books opposite the opening or door A, when they may be readily removed or replaced, as the case may be.

Numerous arrangements of the gearing may be adopted or substituted for the one shown-for instance, that shown in Fig. 2, in which case the arrangement is much simpler; or, as shown in Fig. 4, belts and pulleys may be substituted for the gears and shaftillustrated.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated an additional means for supporting the book-rack solidly and preventing the same from wabbling upon the central bearing-plate (only one being preferably used in such instance) after the same has become worn; and it consists in providing the bottom of the outer case with inverted casters, against which the lower shelf of the book-rack may ride.

In Fig. 5 I have shown one manner of forming the shelves removable, and it consists in forming tenons B 011 the shelf at its inner edge, designed to enter opposite apertures in the inner edge of a companion shelf. The outer corners of the shelves may be supported in a like mannernamely, provided with tenons adapted to rest in notches formed in the inner faces of the usual corner-posts B" or upon simple ledges. These notches are formed as shown at B in Fig. 6, and are designedto receive the tenons at the outer corners of the shelves, as shown in Fig. 5. As thus constructed each shelf is composed of two halves having tenons at the corners, and one having tenons at its inner edge and the other having holesto receive said tenons in its inner edge. Each half is provided with a semicircular notch at the middle of its inner edge, designed to come together and embrace 5. Just under the point of juncture of these notches is the supporting-flange.

(Shown in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines in Fig. 5.) To inpreliminary position the two halves slope upward toward the middle-like a gable roof the inner tenons 011 one half being contiguous to the inner holes on the other. The middle edges are then depressed and the shelves brought into a common horizontal plane, the effect being to thrust the tenons into their holes and solidly adjust the shelves upon their supporting-flanges.

Having described inyinvention and its operation, What I claim is In a revolving book-case, an outer casing provided with shaft-bearings and frictionrollers, in combination with an interior casing mounted upon a central shaft pivoted in said bearings and consisting of corner-posts ll and removable shelves B connected to each other and to the corner-posts by pins B and suitable gearing, substantially as and for the purpose specified. the center post or shaft B as shown at Fig. i

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ZETTLER] Witnesses:

NILs LARSON, HERMANN WYsER. 

